Ore-feeding apparatus for furnaces



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Patented Aug. 3,1920.

S. THILL. ORE FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FURNACES.

APPLICAHON FILED DEC-4,1916. 1,348,603.

L. s. THILL. ORE FEEDING APPARATUS FOR FURNACES.

APPLICAFION FILED DUI-4. I916 Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

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LEONARD S. THILL, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

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Application filed December 4, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LLnoNAnD S; TH LL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and Stateof Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Feeding Apparatus for Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for conveying finely ground materials, and particularly to means for feeding finely divided ores to furnaces, especially reverberatory furnaces.

The apparatus embodies in, its organization a vessel arranged to receive the charge of fine calcine from a MacDougall or other roaster, and means including a system of valves and conveying-pipes for transferring the material by compressed air into a series of hoppers arranged over the reverberatory furnace;

An object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively simple device of this character, wherein'the receiving-vessel can be attached directly under or to the roaster or other-sourceof supply of the finely divided material, and in which the receiving-vessel can be filled and the material completely distributed without the escape of dust or gases.

A further object of the lIlVGIltlOlliS to provide conveying-means wherein. the receptacle will receive its charge and the material will be delivered therefrom to its destination quickly and positively.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction more fully described hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a reverberatory furnace and means according to the present invention for feeding ore thereto, most of the parts being shown diagrammatically and the reverberatory furnace being shown in section:

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate in side view two forms of receiving-vessel's; 1

Fig. 4 illustrates a dust-collecting chamber which is inserted in the system beyond the furnace; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the furnace-hoppers and the connections there The dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings indicate an adaptation of the con- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Serial No. 135,029.

struction as actually installed in a metallurgical plant. i

As illustrated, the conveying-system comprises a roaster l, such as a MacDougall furnace, having a discharge-chute 2 adapted to regulably discharge the ground ore into a The supply of'material to the top of the vessel 3 is regulated by means of a suitable quick-closing valve 7, and the discharge of the material therefrom is controlled by a quick-closing valve 8 at the bottom of the vessel. The receiving-vessel 3 is preferably of the double-cone form shown and has suflicient capacity to hold at. least a charge for the furnace 6. Air under suitable pressure for. forcing the ore from the vessel 3 through the valved outlet, in the bottom 9 is admitted to the vessel through the pipe 10, having a valve 19 and a suitable pressure gauge 11. To prevent the passage of lumps into the pipe 4, the vessel is furnished near its outlet with a grate 12; and for the purpose of affording access to such grate, a closa'ble hand-c hole 13 is provided in the side of the vessel 3. The air displaced from the vessel 3 during filling may pass out through pipe 14, the valve 15 therein being open during such filling. A pipe 16, having a valve 17 near its connection to the main air-supply pipe 10 and a nozzle 18 on its lower end, serves to supply a jet of compressed air to the pipe 4 beneath the outlet of the vessel 3, for the purpose of preventing the material from packing or caking while being forced from the vessel 3.

According to the arrangement shown in Flg. 2, the vessel 3 is adapted for connection to pipe 4 with others of its kind, so that.

there will be a series of these supply-vessels for the distributing pipe 4. In Fig. 3 there is illustrated an arrangement suitable for use when there is but the one receiving vessel 3.

From thevessel 3, the ore is carried by the pipe 4 to the elevated hoppers 5, into which it is distributed at intervals along. their lengths through the valve discharge-pipes 19. From these hoppers 5 which are of relatively large capacity, the ore passes through numerous closed chutes or pipes 20 onto the hearth 21 of the furnace 6, at intervals along its length, a uniform distribution of the ore in the furnace being in this manner insured. Suitable valves 20 may be provided in the feed-pipes 20.

To separate any dust orpoWder from the air after it has deposited its ore in the hoppers 5, the air on its return to the blower 22, for re-use, is drawn through a suitable dust collector 23. The separateddust is permitted to fall back into the hoppers 5 through pipe 24:, while the clarified air passes out through pipe 25 to the blower 22, Which may be connected at its blast-side withthe air supply pipe 10.

In operation, the receiving-vessel 3 is filled'from the roaster l by opening valves 7 and 15, valves 8, 10 and 17 being closed, of course. The valves '7 and 15 are then closed, whereupon the ore may be conveyed to the hoppers 5 through the pipe 4: by opening the valves 8- and 10. Packingof the material in the pipe 4 beneath the vessel 8 may be prevented by opening valve 17. Upon reaching the cross-pipes 26 (Fig. 5)

the material is divided and an even distribu- 2 tion within the hoppers 5 takes place through the discharge-pipes 19. From the hoppers, the ore may pass through the outlets 20 onto the hearth 21 of the furnace or furnaces as desired, at substantially atmospheric pressure. 7 the separator 23 of any dust which it still carries and passes on to the fan 22.

Heretofore, it has been the general practice to convey the finely ground ore from the roasters to the furnaces in the open, for instance in open cars or hoppers. Under such operations it often became almostimpossible to Work on accountof the escaping dust and The spent air is freed in gases, and besides, there is considerable loss of material. This method is also expensive in both labor and equipment. Vith the improved apparatus above described, the objections and difiiculties are overcome and provision is made for the handling of finely.

ground materials in a safe, rapid and economical manner. y

I ClL1H13- 1. In apparatus for delivering ore from alischarging the hopper independently of the said conduit and said medium.

'2. In apparatus for delivering ore from a roaster to a furnace, the combination of a chamber for receiving ore from the roaster, a hopper connected-to the furnace, a closed circuit passing through the chamber and the hopper, pneumatic pressure means in the circuit to pass the charge from the chamber to the hopper, means for separating the charge inthe hopper from the pneumatic means, and means for discharging the hopper'substantially independently of the'said circuit.

In testimony whereof "I afliXVm-y signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD S..TIIILL. Witnesses:

F. BQPREsCO'r'r, T. W. Mason. 

